To the councillors at Lowestoft Town Council, East Suffolk and Suffolk County Council.
PROPOSAL TO CREATE A STATUE OF BENJAMIN BRITTEN AS A BOY AT KIRKLEY
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you to request funding for a public statue on Lowestoft seafront of the composer, Benjamin Britten, depicted as a boy, who was born and raised in Kirkley and drew powerful musical inspiration from his childhood by the sea.
There are statues of great composers at the height of their powers but to uniquely celebrate Britten as a boy would provide an inspirational and aspirational focal point for young people in Lowestoft and spread awareness to the public that this local child went on to become an internationally celebrated composer.
I believe there will be a great deal of support for a statue, to which the eminent signatures attached to this letter already attest.
Separately, last year, I created the concept for an educational KS1/2 project, A boy called Benjamin – A Kirkley Childhood, which incorporated elements of local history, creative writing and music. I approached Historic England who have granted funding for the project to be developed further. In addition, Lowestoft Rising, First Light Festival and Suffolk County Music Service are all supporting and becoming involved in the development of the educational project and Britten Pears Arts are endorsing it and allowing me access to their archives.
The project will result in the creation of free downloadable CPD resources for teachers and educators, a short film about Britten’s childhood in Kirkley showing Kirkley past and present and a community music project for children and young people involving FIrst Light Festival and Suffolk County Music Service. The online resources and film will be available through Historic England’s website. Lowestoft schools will be able to access the resources, music project — and, in due course, free CPD sessions will be offered to all Lowestoft primary teachers. The resources will be available free to all organisations within the UK and internationally through Historic England’s website.
In the course of researching the education project I began to realise the significance and value a statue would bring as a focus of joy and inspiration to the young people of Lowestoft. Therefore, I hope you consider this proposal warmly.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours Faithfully,
Personal details redacted
Page 1 of 3 STATUE OF ‘BRITTEN AS A BOY’ — SUPPORTED BY:
David Charles Abell — Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Philly POPS
Sir Thomas Allen, CBE, FRCM — Baritone, Chancellor of Durham University
Kate Argyle — Local Heritage Education Manager, Historic England
Phil Aves — Chair of the Lowestoft Rising Cultural Education Partnership
Dame Janet Baker, CH, DBE, FRSA — Mezzo-Soprano
Ricardo Barros, ARAM — Director of Mercurius Company
The Baroness (Deborah) Bull, CBE — Vice President & Vice-Principal, Kings College London
Britten Pears Arts
Peter Byatt — Kirkley Councillor and Labour Group Leader
Adrian Butterfield — Musical Director, Tilford Bach Society; Associate Musical Director, London Handel Festival; Professor of Baroque Violin, Royal College of Music
Jenny Ceresa — Councillor for Arts, Heritage and Culture, East Suffolk County Council
Hester Cockcroft — Chief Executive, Awards for Young Musicians
Martin Cullingford — Editor, Gramophone Magazine
Peter Donovan — Chairman, Thaxted Festival Foundation
Martin Duncan — Opera Director
David Eagle — Community Enabler, Community Action Suffolk, Broadcaster
John Elwes — Tenor, friend of Benjamin Britten
Louise Gooch — Kirkley and Pakefield Councillor, East Suffolk District Council
Emma Freud, OBE — Writer, Broadcaster, Producer of Comic Relief
Peter Hewitt — Chief Executive, Benslow Music
Philip Hoare — Author, Broadcaster and Curator
Stephen Hough, CBE — Classical Pianist, Composer and Writer
Hazel Johnson — Director, Enterprise Lowestoft
Brian Kay — Founder The King's Singers; Broadcaster and Conductor
Martha Kearney — Broadcaster; presenter of BBC Radio 4’s The Today Programme
Andrew Keener — Independent Classical Recording Producer
Paul King — Founder and former Chair of Heritage Open Days, Lowestoft; former Chair of Kirkley People’s Forum and Founder of The Friends of Kensington Gardens (Resident of Kirkley)
David Lawrence — Chair, Kirkley People's Forum
Mhairi Lawson — Soprano, Professor of Voice and Historical Performance, Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Page 2 of 3 Adam Low — BAFTA and EMMY award-winning director for BBC and Channel 4, films include Alan Bennett and The Habit of Art, on Auden and Britten
James Mayhew — Illustrator & Children’s Author (Educated in Lowestoft)
Diana Moore — Mezzo-Soprano. Chair of Heritage Open Days (Born and currently living in Lowestoft)
Richard Mundy — Chairman, Lowestoft Archaeology and Local History Society
Geoffrey Munn, OBE, MVO — BBC Antiques Roadshow Presenter & Historian
Ben Parry — Composer, Conductor, Director of National Youth Choirs of Great Britain
Lady Penn, LVO — Friend and Colleague of Benjamin Britten
John Ramster — Opera Director, Educator, Writer (Born in Lowestoft)
Zeb Soanes — BBC Newsreader and Children’s Author (Born in Lowestoft)
Elizabeth Talbot — BBC antiques expert, valuer, auctioneer, broadcaster (Resident of Kirkley)
Lord and Lady Tollemache
Petroc Trelawny — Presenter, BBC Radio 3 Breakfast
Melanie Vigo di Gallidoro — Councillor, Suffolk County Council
John Ward — Singer-songwriter, folk musician and poet (Born and living in Lowestoft)
Chris Warner — Composer, sound designer, orchestrator
Julian West — Head of Open Academy, Royal Academy of Music
Richard Edgar-Wilson — Opera Singer
Fraser Wilson — Senior Manager, Norfolk and Norwich Festival Bridge (Born in Lowestoft)
Barry Wordsworth — Conductor
Page 3 of 3